Category: Articles

Green is a seasonal podcast where two green comedians talk to successful comedians about stuff they’re really good at. It’s hosted by me (Stu Melton) and Jake Fromm. Here’s a little preview of what the first few episodes are about:

ep. 1 – How to create a podcast
ep. 2 – How to get booked & be a working comic
ep. 3 – How to pitch a TV show

The episodes feature some of our favorite comics in NYC who know a lot more about these things than Jake and I do. The first episode features Corinne Fisher, who co-hosts one of the biggest comedy podcasts on iTunes with millions of downloads per episode: Guys We F****d. She tells us that, for our first episode, we’re doing okay. On the “working comic” episode, we’re joined by NYC comedian Lucas Connolly who regularly works club shows, independent shows, storytelling shows, and the road…and is blown away by our charming naiveté. Episode 3’s guest Dan Perlman was in the middle of developing an animated pilot for Fox when we sat down to talk about how exactly he got there. Fast-forward to today, when Jake and I are developing our own pilot with a major TV network. Pshh, we wish.

My favorite part about the show is that it’s recorded over the span of 7 months, so you can hear Jake and I become better hosts as the episodes improve. And, even cooler, you can hear us become marginally less stupid about comedy over time.

Although the episodes are informative, Jake and I also thought a lot about how to make it a well-rounded show. It’s funny, sad, smart, stupid.. .admittedly the best podcast you’ve ever heard.

Comedy festivals are huge right now. They got ‘em everywhere. Pretty much any city with a scene has its own festival. In my home state of Iowa there are 5 different comedy festivals right now. I’ve never done the *big* ones like Bridgetown, JFL or Edinburgh, but I have done a bunch of the smaller ones. Here are some of my dumb thoughts…

Mike Birbiglia’s new special Thank God For Jokes is out today on Netflix! If you’re a comedian there’s no way you’re NOT trying to get your own Netflix special one day. Who wouldn’t want a way to stream their jokes to an audience of millions? However, the steps up to that point seem so abstract… “I know I deserve it, but how could Netflix want to work with a dumb small-time comedian like me?” you ask. “I’ve never ever even been on TV!” That’s why I’m breaking down Mike Birbiglia’s achievement step-by-step to ensure that, one day, you’ll accomplish your own destiny of Netflix stardom.

Every comedian is trying to get booked these days, so it’s hard for us to stand out in the crowd. Getting booked is tough. But, if you just think a little differently, you can really capitalize on your colleagues’ lack of creativity and get yourself on more shows. Just fill out this sheet and stick it inside the notebooks of all your favorite comedy show producers and watch as the bookings start to roll in!

People are going to say this story isn’t true, only because it is fake. They are going to say “Alex is just trying to be funny” or “Alex has a tumor in his brain that makes him lie to the public.” When you get right down to it, why can’t we both be right? Cannot a lie be the most true? Would that be crazy?

Alex Ptak is a top talent man for KRB Talent Empire. He has done many big deals with top comedy talents like Geraldo Rivera and the Rivera Family Band. He is also currently represented by ACA as a Networking Star.

Before leaving to work as talent man at KRB, Alex worked on a steam boat where he quickly rose to the top by networking. After many years of hard work on the poop deck, Alex became a famous stand up comedian in only 3 weeks. He is now ready to pass his show business lessons on to you.

My roommate Matt, like me, is a stand up comic. So, when one of us decides to take a night off, the other always tries to inspire some action: “Why don’t we go out and do some open mics?! You need to write more!” Matt always boils it down to: “You’ve gotta get your 10,000 hours, man!” I’ve probably heard Matt say that phrase 10,000 times. He’s really good at it.

I was listening to a rebroadcast of a Freakonomics Radio episode called “How To Be Great At Just About Anything,” when the guy who came up with the 10,000 hour rule started explaining what it’s all about. And it got me thinking. What does 10,000 hours really mean? In the stand up community, the idea of “10,000 hours” is thrown around like crazy, but does anybody ACTUALLY know what it means? Yeah, 10,000 hours is a number.. .but do you magically become Louis C.K. after you’ve been on stage for that much time? Does it only matter how much time you’re on stage, or does writing count, too? Are you meant to keep track of how many hours you’re doing? Or is it just a big number to use for inspiration? Is it even physically possible?

When we boil it all down, “10,000 hours” really amounts to a buzz word that’s lost a lot of it’s meaning. So this is an attempt to get some real, concrete answers about what it means to get your 10,000 hours in comedy. Starting here:

You ask anybody who came up with the 10,000 hours rule and they’ll say “Malcolm Gladwell.” But they’re dead wrong. Which is why I’d rather take a lesson in stand up comedy from a nerdy Swedish guy named Anders Ericsson. Wait.. .who?